If a software error corrupts a data object, or if erroneous data updates the data object, a data protection administrator may restore the data object to a previous uncorrupted state that does not include the corrupted or erroneous data. A backup application executes a backup operation either occasionally or continuously to enable this restoration, storing a copy of each desired data object state (such as the values of data and these values' embedding in a database's data structures) within dedicated backup files. When the data protection administrator decides to return the data object to a previous state, the data protection administrator specifies the desired previous state by identifying a desired point in time when the data object was in this state, and instructs the backup application to execute a restore operation to restore a copy of the corresponding backup files for that state to the data object.
A snapshot is a capture of a state of a data object, such as a file system or an application, at a specific moment in time. A file system may be stored on a storage array, which is a disk storage system that includes multiple disk drives. Unlike a disk enclosure, a storage array has cache memory and advanced functionality, such as virtualization and Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID). A data protection administrator may manage a backup application to create snapshots of data objects stored on multiple storage arrays.
Snapshot and replication operations of data objects are key strategies to meet demanding Service Level Objectives (SLO) such as Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) and Recovery Time Objectives (RTO). Snapshots have changed the way that backups are perceived and led to a paradigm shift in the domain of backups. Snapshots are a mechanism that can drastically reduce the time required for backing up a data object, which may be referred to as a backup window, which may enable achievement of aggressive Service Level Agreements (SLA) that many businesses demand.